how to get more clients in the salon

How to Get More Clients as a Hairstylist – 12 Tips from Experience

How to Get More Clients as a Hairstylist – 12 Tips from Experience

The struggle is real! I get it. It’s hard to get more clients as a hairstylist.

To get more hair clients there are 12 things you can adjust in the way that you do business now or evaluate the way that you are already doing them to see if they can be improved.

how to get more clients in the salon

12 Tips to Get More Clients as a Hairstylist

1. Develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Develop a unique selling proposition that differentiates you from other hairstylists.

This can include –

  • Specific style expertise
  • Use of quality products
  • Competitive pricing
  • Quality relationships
  • Consistency
  • Other attributes that consumers value and that they can’t get elsewhere

Your USP should be part of all your promotional efforts and should be part of your branding.

35 Unique Salon Service Ideas to Make your Salon Stand Out

2. Network

Get out there and go to networking events, join local business and professional organizations, and get to know other hairstylists, cosmetologists, and makeup artists.

Establish strong relationships with other beauty professionals who you can connect with and help refer you business.

Put a referral program in place to incentivize referrals and recognize the people who send you clients. But we’ll get to that here shortly.

Professional Hairstylist Networking Tips

3. Leverage Social Media

Make sure to leverage the power of social media to reach and engage existing and potential clients.

This does not mean to obsess over your social media marketing or posts!

It’s the perfect platform to promote your unique selling proposition (what makes you stand out), share blog posts, showcase your work, and offer promotions and competitions.

Consider advertising on different social media platforms. Be sure to track your campaigns to see what’s working and what isn’t.

4. Have a Website & Be Sure It’s Listed on Google Business

This should be the hub of your beauty business and should serve as a virtual salon.

Make sure to include –

  • Detailed information about the services you offer
  • Your unique selling proposition
  • Contact information
  • Links to your social media pages where the updated photos of your latest work can be seen

Use SEO (search engine optimization) strategies to get your website visible on search engine result pages and make sure all the content is up-to-date, such as phone number and salon address.

5. Have Business Cards

Business cards are a great way to promote yourself and get more clients as a hairstylist – get a professional design made to really stand out.

Make sure the business cards include your specialty, unique selling proposition, contact information, website, and social media links.

Don’t forget to add a few extras such as a QR code that directs people to your website or a loyalty code for discounts on bookings.

6. Use Word of Mouth

Never underestimate the power of word of mouth!

Ask your existing clients to recommend you to their friends and family. Make sure to make a great impression on each and every client and leave them with an incentive to recommend you.

You can also refer other services to your clients and ask for a reciprocal favor.

7. Offer Special Services

Optimizing your service offerings with something unique that isn’t offered anywhere else is a great way to attract more clients. Think about things such as home visits, specialized treatments, VIP packages or even something simple like offering free coffee when clients come for their appointment, or offering shoulder massages to finish your client’s services.

24 Unique Salon Add-on Services to Offer in Your Salon

8. Participate in Community Events

Get involved in local community events like charity fundraisers or festivals as a way of further promoting your services.

Participating in these events will give you the opportunity to meet other business owners and potentially secure new hair clientele, and tap into their existing networks.

(This counts as networking, marketing, and word of mouth all in one!)

9. Create Special Offers

Consider launching special offers to attract more clients – you can offer a first-time discount, loyalty program discounts or even monthly discounts on selected services.

This is an effective way to bring in more hair clients and keep them coming back.

10. Offer Referral Program

A referral program is a great way to reward your existing clients and encourage them to spread the word. This could be something as easy as offering discounts or free products when they refer someone to your salon.

11. Create Good Content

Content creation is an essential part of marketing your business.

Creating a tik tok account or creating instagram reels are a great way to share tips and advice on topics related to hair and beauty. You can also post relevant content on social media, such as before and after photos of your work.

Creating good content helps potential clients find out more about you and your work, and it can even improve your SEO rankings.

12. Monitor Your SEO

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Make sure to keep track of your SEO performance and adjust it accordingly. Check that your website is SEO optimized and look at the keywords you have used.

It’s essential to keep track of your rankings on different search engines, as this will help you to adjust your website content and make sure you are targeting the right keywords.

You can hire an SEO expert to check on this for you. Or you can learn more about SEO and building a successful blog from my coach Laura! Her course is where I learned how to make a ranking and profitable hair blog.

How to Grow your Blog Exponentially in 2023 with Coach Laura 

Laura has several blogs and has cracked the code on how it’s done and teaches us how to do it for ourselves in our own industry! Though she doesn’t have a hair blog, her most famous and profitable is Mike and Laura Travels where they earn over $17,000 per month.

And let me tell you… her methods work! And her SEO training is excellent. She breaks down the process and shows you how to build your website in an SEO friendly way and only grow your SEO (search engine optimization – meaning you rank in the top 10 on Google).

Give her a look, I highly recommend her course!

How to Grow your Blog Exponentially in 2023

How do I Promote Myself as a Hairstylist?

Promoting yourself as a hairstylist is an important step to gaining more clients, and can seem a bit daunting if you don’t know where to start.

Here we’ll discuss what steps to take that will guide you with detailed step-by-step advice on how to promote yourself as a hairstylist in order to get clients fast for your salon.

👉 Step 1: Build a Professional Image and Online Presence

The first step to promoting yourself as a hairstylist is to ensure that your professional image and online presence reflect your particular style and abilities.

Start by taking professional pictures of some of your recent work.

Take note of the type of work that best represents your skills.

You can then use these images to promote yourself on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Additionally, you should create a website or blog to feature yourself and your portfolio. Be sure to include what clients can expect when they come into your salon, along with images of recent work.

👌 Step 2: Network and Build Connections

Networking is key to building relationships with prospective clients. One great way to network is to attend trade shows or industry events related to your profession, such as hair shows.

Here you can meet fellow professionals and discuss different techniques, tips, and trends that you might have.

Additionally, through networking events you will also have the opportunity to build connections with local salon owners, by which your portfolio can be seen and promoted.

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👍 Step 3: Leverage Word of Mouth and Referrals

Word of mouth is a great way to quickly increase the number of clients you have.

Let your current clients know that you are actively seeking new clientele and that their referrals would be greatly appreciated. Incentivize the referrals, if appropriate, and make sure to thank those who make referrals.

Referrals in our industry is one of the biggest compliments we can receive! Reward your clients with a discount when they refer someone to you.

Additionally, you may want to offer existing clients a discount for referring friends or family.

👏 Step 4: Leverage Community Events

Your local community is a great way to get the word out and increase your client base. Look for events such as music festivals, art shows, and charity events where you can participate as a hairstylist.

This will give you the perfect opportunity to talk to people and showcase your work. Additionally, attending these events will also help to increase brand recognition and establish yourself a legitimate business.

These are just some of the ways you can begin to promote yourself as a hairstylist and get more clients quickly.

  • By taking the time to create a professional image and presence online
  • Network and build relationships
  • Leverage word of mouth
  • Participate in local events

By following these steps you will be able to effectively market yourself to existing and potential clients. With the right strategy and effort, you will be able to grow your business and increase your client base in no time.

How to Get Clients Fast in a Salon?

As discussed in more detail in another article, in short, here are 19 more tips to get hair clients fast in the salon.

independent hair salon

Feel free to read more about how to apply these tips to your business please see

19 Tips How to Get Hair Clients Fast – From an Experienced Hairstylist

  • Be sure your Storefront is Visible from the Street
  • Confirm that your Business is Listed on Google so it Shows up on Search Results?
  • Have your Clients Leave Reviews
  • Offer Limited-Time Only for You Promotions
  • Utilize Cross-Promotion with other Nearby Businesses
  • Be Present and Up to Date on Social Media
  • Have Clients Sign Up for Emails
  • Sign up and Participate in HARO to boost your website authority
  • Offer Discounts your Clients Can’t Refuse
  • Is your Staff Friendly? Do they Dress the Part? Do they Exude Confidence? Do they listen to the clients?
  • Know What You’re Doing
  • Have a Unique Selling Proposition -What Makes you Stand Out?
  • Pay Attention to the First 15 Seconds and the Last 2 Minutes
  • Make Time for Your Clients
  • Offer Convenient Payment Options

FAQs How to Get More Clients as a Hairstylist

How do I Run a Successful Hair Salon?

Niche down – Understand your specialty, individually or as a business salon whole, and the kind of vibe you want to have in your salon, this will help you attract the kind of clients you want in your salon.

Retain good management – If you are the manager and have staff, be present and available for your staff to come to you with questions, concerns, and other issues that they might have.

Market and Network – It pays to know people. Retain the right clientele and they will refer others to you. Continue growing your clientele and you will only have a greater network to tap into.

Hire Staff that can Perform Quality Services – You want your clients to rave about the stylist and the service in reviews, be sure that your staff is on time, looks professional, behaves professionally, and can consistently offer quality services to your customers.

How can I Promote My Hair Business?

  • Updated Google Business Listing
  • Networking in the community and with other local businesses
  • Always have extra business cards to hand out
  • Ask your clients to leave reviews and offer an irresistible referral program

How to Advertise as a Hairstylist

hair consultation questions

👉 Utilize Google Business

👉 Be present on Social Media (both personal and on your professional business page)

👉 Look the part – if your hair and makeup are done, clients know you take your job in the beauty industry seriously

👉 Always have business cards on hand

👉 Have your clients advertise for you by giving them extra business cards to hand out, and reward word of mouth referrals

👉 Perform consistently excellent services, your clients are walking billboards, their friends and even strangers will ask where they get their hair done and they will say YOU did it!

Conclusion

The 12 Points in Summary –

  • Have a Unique Selling Proposition
  • Network
  • Leverage Social Media
  • Have a Website & Be Sure it’s Listed on Google Business
  • Have Business Cards
  • Use Word of Mouth
  • Offer Special Services
  • Participate in Community Events
  • Create Special Offers
  • Offer a Referral Program
  • Create Good Content
  • Monitor your SEO

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